New York Yankees All-Star Alex Rodriguez Gives $500,000 to Enhance Curriculum for Pro Athletes and Others Earning MBAs at University of Miami

Coral Gables, Fla. – February 17, 2017 – The University of Miami School of Business Administration today announced a $500,000 gift from longtime New York Yankees All-Star Alex Rodriguez. The gift will establish the Graduate Entrepreneurship and Innovation Endowed Fund to support new co-curricular programs for participants in the School’s Miami Executive MBA for Artists and Athletes program and other MBA students. In recognition of the gift, a courtyard within the School of Business complex has been named the Alex Rodriguez Courtyard. Rodriguez, a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, joined University President Julio Frenk and other dignitaries in a courtyard dedication ceremony on February 17.

“As an athlete and an entrepreneur, I am thrilled to help the School of Business create unique initiatives around innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in the Executive MBA program for artists and athletes,” said Rodriguez. “It’s my hope that these initiatives will encourage athletes and others to explore their own entrepreneurial path outside what they are exposed to in the classroom.”

The endowment will fund enrichment workshops in such areas as entrepreneurship, negotiation, multinational leadership, family business and wealth management. These initiatives will focus on the most current and relevant issues to better prepare participants for the fast-changing business environment. Participants will receive assistance in forming businesses, personal development plans and other related business initiatives.

“The School of Business is committed to continuous innovation to ensure that our MBA and other programs are consistently relevant in the ever-changing business landscape,” said Anuj Mehrotra, interim dean of the University of Miami School of Business Administration. “As such, we are extremely grateful for this gift, which will enable us to provide our students with even greater opportunities to gain the skills they need to start, work in and manage innovative organizations no matter how the world changes around them.”

In 2002, Rodriguez, who accepted a football scholarship from the University of Miami in 1993 but signed with the Seattle Mariners after the team selected him No. 1 overall in the draft, donated $3.9 million to help renovate the University’s baseball stadium and fund an annual scholarship.

About the University of Miami School of Business Administration

The University of Miami School of Business is a leader in preparing individuals and organizations to excel in the complex, dynamic, and interconnected world of global business. One of 12 schools and colleges at the University of Miami, the School offers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and executive education programs. With its location in a major center for international business, the School is acclaimed for its global perspective, student and faculty diversity, and engagement with the business community. More information about the University of Miami School of Business can be found at www.bus.miami.edu